Tube packaged merchandise dispenser



Sept. 11, 1956 E A. QUAsr-BARTHJR v2,762,525

TUBE PACKGED MERCHANDISE DISPENSER v Filed April 15, 1954 F/ FIG. 2 F/G. l G 4 INVENTOR. EDMU/VD A. OUASEBAHTH, JR.

A TTOR/VE YS United States Patent TUBE PACKAGED MERCHANDISE DISPENSER Edmund A. Quasebarth, Jr., Chula Vista, Calif. Application April 13, 1954, Serial No. 422,750

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-95) The present invention relates to a device for collapsing plastic tubessuch as-tooth paste and shaving cream tubes, and more particularly to a device for progressively flattening the collapsible plastic tube longitudinally from the closed end thereof toward the open end thereof.

The present invention embodies a squeezer including a pair of jaws which are arranged to move longitudinally of the length of the tube. This squeezer is carried by an elongated frame and is guided longitudinally vfor movement. longitudinally of the frame. The frame is enclosed in a sleeve which is internally threaded. The part or parts carried by the squeezeris in threaded relationship with the threads of the sleeve, whereby when the sleeve is rotated, the squeezer isvmoved lengthwise of the tube and the jaws eiiect` progressive collapsing of the tube.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is atop plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device, part of the outer sleeve being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side view of a frame showing a modification of that shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3;

Fig., 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 isl a fragmentary view of; the lower part of the frame showing `still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the squeezing device 20 includes a main frame 21. This frame includes an upper head 22 and a plurality of downwardly extending legs 23. In the embodiment illustrated, two of such legs 23 are provided. The frame also includes a base 25 and a cap 26. The cap 26 is secured to the head 22 in any suitable manner and in the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, it is threaded as at 28. Head 22, legs 23, and base 25 are generally cylindrical. The cap is shown as dome-shaped. Legs 23 are spaced from one another to provide guideways 3i). Since only two legs are illustrated in the embodiments, two guide-ways are formed.

The base 25 is trictionally held in position due to the resiliency of the legs 23. Base 25 is slotted as at 32 to form a socket. This socket extends transversely of the axis of the cylindrical frame and is arranged to receive the lower or closed end of the tube which is to be collapsed.

The tube 33, shown in phantom in Fig. 2, has its open end 34 in registry with a hole 35 in the cap 26. The upper end 34 of the tube is in abutting relationship with the underside of a shoulder 37 of the cap. A sliding valve 38 is arranged to close the hole from the top.

The squeezer, generally indicated at 40, includes two stationary jaws 41. These jaws are spaced from one another, as indicated by the slot 42. These jaws 41 are ar- ICC ranged transversely of the axis of the frame and are arranged to engage opposite sides of the tube to be collapsed. The socket 32 and the slot 42 are arranged parallelly. When the squeezer 40 is in its lowermost *position, slot 42 is aligned with Vsocket 32.

The squeezer, in addition to the jaws 41, includes radi,- ally extending slides 44 which extend through the oppositely disposed guide-ways 3i). The peripheral surfaces of the slides 44 are each provided with a thread-follower 44a, herein shown as screw threads which are in threaded engagement with the threads 45 on the interior of an elongated sleeve 46. This sleeve 46 surrounds the frame legs 23". Relative rotating movement between the sleeve 46 and the frame 22 will cause longitudinal movement of the squeezer 40 due to its threaded relationship with the sleeve.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to reload the device it will of course be necessary to first remove the previously flattened tube. This is accomplished by turning the sleeve or frame, or both, so that the squeezer is chased downwardly, completely removing the sleeve from threaded engagement with the thread-followers 44a on the squeezer 40. The jaws 41 are disposed longitudinally upwardly of the slides 44, or, stated differently, the slides lie longitudinally downwardly of the jaws. Slots 47, in the periphery of the base, are longitudinally aligned with the guideways 30; these slots receive the guides 44 and consequently are, in themselves, guideways for theguides 44. When thesqueezer is in its lowestmost position, the upper portion or" the base 2S telescopes with-vr in the squeezer, and the slot 42 in the squeezer is axially aligned with socket 32 in the base. The base 25, squeezer 4l), and the attened tube are then removed from between the legs 23. This` can be readily done sincev the legs 23 are formed of resilient material. Since the socket 32 and slot 42 are aligned, the tube can be slid sideways and thereby removed from either open end of thersocket and slot of the squeezer and base. The lower end of a new tube is then slid into the aligned. slot andsocket, the slot and socket being enlarged sufficiently to receive the crimped edge of the tube. The assembly, including thetube, squeezer, and base, is thenl inserted into the frame with the head of the tube 34 in abutting relationship with the slot k37 of the cap 26. The sleeve is .then plaCsda-DQQL the frame and relative movement is then imparted between the sleeve 46 and the head 22 of the frame 21, threading the lower end of the sleeve 46 onto the slides 44.

When the lower edge 48 of sleeve 47 engages the bottom flanges 49 of the legs 23, further relative longitudinal movement between the frame 2l and the sleeve 46 is ended, and then, by continuing the relative rotating movement between the frame 2l and the sleeve 46, the squeezer 40 will be moved upwardly. The jaws 4i of the squeezer 40 will then, of course, impart collapsing movement progressively upwardly to the tube 33. Thus, by merely turning the sleeve 46, the contents of the tube 33 will be extruded through the hole 35 in the cap when the sliding valve 38 is moved to open position.

In the embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the legs 123 are spaced from one another suciently to provide ample room for inserting the tube between the same. In this embodiment, after the squeezer 40 is moved to its lowermost position, the upper end of the tube 33 is inserted between the legs E23 and then through the head 22. After the upper end of the tube is within the cap 26, the lower end of the tube is moved into position in the slot 42 and socket 32. Thus, in this embodiment it is not necessary to remove either the base 25 or the squeezer 40 from the frame.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the base 125 can be held in any one of a plurality of positions. In this embodiment, the base 125 is provided with a plurality of studs 150, each of which is adapted to extend into one of a plurality of pairs of holes in the legs 123. One pair of these holes is shown at 151 and another pair is shown at 152. When it is desirable to atten a relatively short tube, the base is placed in the position shown in Fig. 6, in which the studs 150 extend within the pair of holes 151. If it is desirable to :Batten a relatively long tube, the legs Y123 are spread apart so that the studs 150 can be withdrawn from the pair of holes 15S.. The base is then lowered and the studs are inserted into the holes 152.

The material of the frame, and particularly the legs 123, are sutliciently resilient so as to yield as needed for the insertion and removal of the base 1.25. The entire structure may be formed from many materials, such as resilient metal or resilient plastic. It' desirable, the sleeve can be' made of transparent material, or material which is suiciently translucent so that the position of the squeezer can be seen, whereby the user can determine the quantity of material retained in the tube.

From the foregoing it will be seen that therehas been provided a simple structure which progressively attens an elongated collapsible tube from the closed end to the open end thereof, thus insuring complete emptying of the tube.

While the forms of mechanism herein shown and kdescribed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms may be adopted falling within the scope of the claims that follow.

l claim:

l. A device for progressively tiattening a collapsible plastic tube longitudinally from the closed end toward theopen end thereof comprising in combination, an elongated frame for receiving an elongated collapsible plastic tube and forming a plurality of longitudinally extending guide-ways; a squeezer including spaced jaws extending v transversely of the frame and engageable with opposite surrounding the frame, said sleeve being internally threaded and in threaded relationship thread-followers of the slides.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the frame includes a base having guides, each longitudiwith each of the nally aligned with one of the first-mentioned guide-ways for receiving the slides, said base having a transversely extending, open top socket and arranged parallelly of the jaws for receiving the closed end ot' the tube.

3. A device for progressively attening a collapsible plastic tube longitudinally from the closed end toward the open end thereof comprising in combination, an elongated frame for receiving an elongated collapsible plastic tube and forming a longitudinally-extending guideway; a base for the frame and having a guideway longitudinally aligned with the guideway of the frame; a squeezer including spaced jaws extending transversely ofthe frame and engageable with opposite sides of the tube, a slide on the squeezer in guided relationship with the guideways4 of the frame and base, said jaws being disposed longitudinally upwardly of the slide, said base having a transversely-extending open top socket arranged parallelly of the jaws for receiving the closed end of the tube, the peripheral surface of the slide being arcuate and having a thread-follower; and a rotatable sleeve surrounding the frame, said sleeve being internally threaded and in threaded relationship with the slide.

4. A device for progressively flattening a collapsible plastic tube longitudinally from the closed end toward the open end thereof comprising in combination, an elongated frame for receiving an elongated collapsible plastic tube and forming a plurality of circumferentially-spaced, longitudinally-extending guideways; a base for the frame and having circumferentially-spaced guideways longitudinally aligned with the guideways of the frame; a squeezer including spaced jaws extending transversely of the frame and engageable with opposite sides of the tube, a slide on the squeezer'in guided relationship with the guideways of the frame and base, said jaws being vdisposed longitudinally upwardly of the slide, said base having a transversely-extending opentop socket arranged parallelly of the jaws for receiving the closed end of the tube, the peripheral surface of the slide being arcuate and having a thread-follower; and a rotatable sleeve surrounding the frame, said sleeve being internally threaded and in threaded relationship with the slide.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,576,750 Kinsley Mar. 16, 1926 1,655,410 Bullock Ian. 10, 1928 1,930,821 Newcomer et al. Oct. 17, 1933 

